Also, if you’d like to register to comment at Michelle’s site (it’ll tell you registering is closed if you try to register from there), send me an email with what user name and password you want (you can change your password immediately after registering if you like) and we’ll get you set up. (Connie, this means you!)

$3.7 million is a lot of money ($61,666 a second for the average male bidder to be exact), so the next obvious question is this: who in the world is bidding that much for a virgin? In this economy, it’s got to be somebody with a full stock of bailout money, like an AIG or Merrill Lynch executive.

Dylan is supposedly auctioning off her virginity, but, given her apparent shameless business acumen, why am I thinking that she’s going to write back to at least the five highest bidders and say…

“You won! Bring the $3.6 million and meet me at the LA Hilton on March 2nd.”
“You won! Bring the $3.2 million and meet me at the LA Hilton on March 3rd.”
“You won! Bring the $2.8 million and meet me at the LA Hilton on March 4th.”
“You won! Bring the $2.4 million and meet me at the LA Hilton on March 5th.”
“You won! Bring the $1.9 million and meet me at the LA Hilton on March 6th.”

I decided to search around a little to see how the victory of Barack Obama was being reported to those countries or groups who, let’s just say, may not have had a favorable view of the United States as it existed the day before yesterday. Most of it was so fawning that the U.S. media is probably getting jealous as hell of the foreign press cutting in to dance with their date.

Here’s a sampling of what I found:

Iran Daily: World Hopes for Less Arrogant America

Pravda (Russia): Eight Years of Hell are Over

Afghan Islamic Press: Taliban: Obama should begin ‘a new era of peace’

Palestine Chronicle: Arab, Muslim Americans Make Critical Move to Democrats

Syria Daily: Syrians Happy to See Back of George W. Bush

And, of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without hearing from The New York Times: For Many Abroad, An Ideal Renewed

Does it make you feel better that all these guys are thrilled about the outcome of the election? Before answering, remember, a turkey sees lots of smiling faces the day before Thanksgiving too — but even a turkey isn’t dumb enough to feel good about it (unless it lives in Berkeley and subscribes to Sabah or The New York Times).

When a terrorist expresses joy at George W. Bush’s departure, it makes me want to pat him on the back. And by “him” I mean George W. Bush.

World “O”pinion:

Obama’s victory — as the first African-American elected president in U.S. history — is painted by American liberals as a way for the U.S. to finally gain respect in the eyes of other more “socially advanced and progressive” countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Donkey chips! How many black presidents has France had? How many black Prime Ministers has the U.K. had? (forget the fact that the Monarchy is forever as diverse as 50,000 gallons of vanilla ice cream)

How many leaders of African descent has China had? Japan? Iran? Sweden? Russia? Italy? Germany? Latvia?

And how many of these countries the American left is constantly blowing into the ear of in a desperate attempt to be felt up by a foreigner are places where women are stoned to death for the crime of being raped?

America is still the best nation on the earth. Even though on a political level I fundamentally disagree with who was elected, there’s no denying that it was a historic occasion for our country. However, I’ll take no part in buying into the misguided notion that it was a momentous step in the U.S. “finally starting to catch up with the rest of the civilized world.”

Quite the opposite.

Radical cleric Abu Qatada, described as “Osama bin Laden’s right hand man in Europe,” is to be released in the next 24 hours.

Qatada, who is accused of giving advice and support to terrorists including the leader of the September 11 hijackers, has been described in official documents as a “truly dangerous individual” who was “heavily involved, indeed at the centre of terrorist activities associated with al-Qa’eda.”

As a condition of his release, he’ll be electronically tagged and monitored. At least Bin Laden won’t be happy to see this pantload show up at his cave again, because he may be followed by a few dozen members of special forces.

Too bad this guy couldn’t have gotten himself sent to Gitmo, because now he’d have access to U.S. civilian courts and he could sue somebody for that haircut:

Suitably Flip has my favorite so far:

Also, Ed over at Captain’s Quarters was nearly killed by flying congressional pork-filled appropriations.

When will the horrors cease?